This invention relates to dental apparatus, and more particularly to a router for performing finishing operations onto a dental model.
In preparing dental models, appropriate dies and working casts are made in order to prepare an appropriate dental model. Once completed, portions of the dental model must be properly finished. For example, the lingual portion may be cut out, interfering or objectionable undercuts are removed and portions are smoothed out. Additionally, after the dental model is cut into sections using a saw, each of the sections are trimmed in order to permit non-interfering and matching interface for repositioning of the sections of the dental model. Additional finishing operations also include indexing of the model sections to create undercuts appropriate for repositioning.
Typically, a rotating device such as a router or drill head is utilized for such finishing operations. The dental model is held in one hand and the router is held in the other hand or mounted and placed on a work surface. The router is typically positioned horizontally and the dental model and router are moved against each other, or the hand held model moves against the router.
One of the difficulties in holding the model by hand and moving it against a horizontal shaft is that the model can easily break. Such breakage can occur either through dropping, or excessive hand-pressure, or hitting the model. Furthermore, in working with a held model against a horizontal rotating shaft, it is not possible to get predictable and repeatable results. Since it is a hand operation, each cut and trim is unique. This, therefore, makes it very awkward to provide repeatable undercuts for indexing sections of the model for proper replacement. It also prevents proper mating interlocking sections since it is not possible to predict the exact cut, depth or shape. In fact, certain type of cuts, such as a way, have been difficult, if not impossible to achieve using such prior art arrangements.